Following because the salt mines have been a dream of mine since I was a kid, but I also don't want to visit Auschwitz.

Do you mean salt mines in the area of Krakow in particular? If not, note that there are salt mines one can visit outside of Salzburg, too -- in Hallein. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there!

I referred to the Wieliczka Salt Mines a short distance from Krakow, which I am sure is what everyone on this thread meant.

Thank you so much, AnselAdorme! Great ideas! And I love the description of the 2 of you sitting in a carriage ride at night all wrapped up in blankets - so romantic!

The Wieliczka Salt Mines also sound intriguing!

I said Wieliczka Salt Mine and included two pictures. I’ve also been to a salt mine outside of Salzburg. Each are interesting and different in their own right. Wieliczka has steps down and no train and a very small elevator to return to the top. I didn’t have any issues with a bum knee and unexpected feet issues. I would go back.

I saw horse and carriages at Rynek Glowny. People were lined up but it was also snowing so maybe something extra special like AnselmAdorne suggests. You can certainly find things to do that will interest you and worth a few days.

Krakow is a gorgeous city. Poland is such a great place to visit. You do not need to go to any holocaust sites.
The food is amazing, the Salt mines are super interesting.
Shame you equate it with Auschwitz.
I visit Poland often and it is a wonderful place. Super clean too.

The food in Poland is indeed super. My favorite discovery was grilled oszypek, the regional smoked mountain cheese form Zakopane. You can find that at Restauracja Galicyjska in Krakow.

Thank you all, you’ve given me plenty of reasons to go to Krakow! It’s definitely in the plan now.

That cheese, shelemm, sounds delicious!

Kraków is absolutely worth visiting, even without the Holocaust sites. The Old Town is beautiful and walkable, with a huge main square, great cafés, and a surprisingly laid-back vibe. Wawel Castle is impressive, and the riverfront area makes for an easy stroll.

If you're into architecture or food, Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter) still has a lot of charm, even if it's gotten trendier over the years. Think less “Disney-fied,” more artsy and bohemian, with good bars, galleries, and street art tucked between the history.

If the logistics work, I’d say go for it. It offers a very different feel from Prague or Vienna and makes for a solid final stop.

My niece and I are both vegetarians and I particularly found food very hard in both Budapest and Poland. The only time ever in my travels to 60+ countries. Everything is meat based and I could only find rice and potatoes, it was really hard.

But the others in my group loved the local cuisine and dined out really well, so it was just me. The wines are pretty good though, so that made up for the lack of veggie options!

ANUJ what was your experience with food in Poland?

geetika - I had more than a few pierogi-focused meals in Poland - several of which (e.g. the very popular Pierogarnia Mandu in Gdansk) had a good spread of vegetarian fillings on their menus. And we stumbled upon some Italian, Middle Eatern restos (e.g. Warsaw). We did OK overall, though - as vegetarians - the food certainly wasn't the highlight of our week-long trip.

geetika your question got me thinking as I while I do eat some meat, I often find it questionable when traveling and don't like all vegetables. When visiting Budapest on a tour, stopping for lunch was on the agenda. I will never forget the guide taking orders while we were enroute. She was really pushing the goulash and schnitzel which are for me is a no when I don't know what type of meat is used but I can guess. The other option was going a la carte which I told my sister to accept. We were the only two who did. I will never forget the look on the faces of the mom and daughter sitting next to me when our food was brought out, which was served last. We got Caesar salads, and I think they got some veal with mashed potatoes. The mom immediately told the waiter to change her meal. I am especially picky with what pierogis are filled with as well.

At the Christmas market In Wroclaw, I couldn't read the menu but saw pierogis so I asked. I was told meat and shook my head and questioned the options again, finally another worker told me they had vegetable and cheese ones. I think you might have run into the same situation. I took a picture of another stall menu to look at later so I could be more familiar should I ever go back. You wouldn't always want pierogis but gives an example as I certainly would need google translate. I had to ask my Russian friend what a Russian pierogi was. Here it is for reference.

sassy, I wasn’t a huge fan of pierogis either, cheese filled pierogi at every meal gets to be a bit much. I would get a good breakfast, with a snack late afternoon, and that mostly kept me good for the day.

ANUJ, we found Lebanese and Indian options in Warsaw, the last stop of our two week trip and I was in hog heaven. But as you say, we’re there to see new places and food is not a consideration at all.

I was in Krakow last year for four nights with some friends from an art history course I am pursuing. It was totally brilliant !

There is so much to see all within short walking distance from the main square, Amazing architecture, art galleries, castle, and grounds lots of churches including the Veit Stoss altar which is opened up once a day at St Mary's in the main square . The tour of the old University founded in 1364 was particularly worthwhile. Lots of really nice coffee shops and restaurants and all priced much cheaper than most of Europe. Plus when we went (in early May) it was much less crowded than other cities such as Vienna or Prague.. We did not visit any holocaust sites and there was still a huge amount to do.which we could not cover in our time there. I am hoping to return soon.

A trip that includes visits to Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Krakow in one go is like ordering four dishes at an expensive restaurant, such as roast duck, stewed rabbit, spit-roasted lamb, and pork knuckle. You won't be able to eat all of that at once. In the case of food, you'll probably feel sick from overeating. In the case of travel, everything will be mixed up, and you won't be able to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of each city. You won't feel their atmosphere or mood. It will be almost the same slides of tourist sights before your eyes. From a logistical point of view, it is better to visit two cities in one trip. For example, Budapest + Vienna, Krakow + Prague.

I think it depends on the traveler. I have vivid and distinct memories of these cities, which I saw on the same long-ago trip ... along with Warsaw and Berlin.

I would not get mixed up between the cities and their very different looks and appeals. And I strongly disagree with the 'same slides of tourist sites' comment.

Also, I have to add a comment about Krakow. The massive size of the rynek in Krakow compared to the rather compact size of Krakow's Old Town means that it's character is so different from the Old Town Square of Prague. The rynek in Krakow belongs to the Poles, because everyone who works and lives there has to pass through it. It is a central meeting point for the Poles, and the cafes are used by them. In Prague, the Old Town Square belongs to the tourists. The citizens avoid it if possible.

A quick visit to various famous places can leave a lasting impression. But believe me, it won't be a deep one. But really, some people love fast food, while others love to sit in a restaurant for hours and savour wine. These are different experiences, although in both cases hunger was satisfied.
P.S.: In Krakow, the pork knuckle near Barbakan was delicious.

ditto

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjAMZEFq

I'll add my 2 groszy as I was just in Krakow yesterday --- it is a lovely city that owes its character to having escaped the WWII destruction seen by other cities. There is plenty to see and do as noted above, and I could have used more time indeed. However, I will note the Cloth Market was very disappointing, having been overrun by cheap souvenir vendors. Had a great lunch at the milk bar not far off the main square. There is an express train that is much more comfortable than the regular train, btw. (We also went to Auschwitz and Birkenau, with a guide)